A dillweed in a can, there's nothing lamer than

[mythalenaste]

WHO: Pel Ashara and YOU
WHAT: Returning from Suledin Keep with a new spinning wheel, new battle moves, and a busted-up face.
WHEN: Late Guardian/present
WHERE: Skyhold's courtyard
NOTES: Warning for memories of violence?

One of the ruined houses in Sahrnia had a perfectly good spinning wheel inside, its owners dead. None of the townsfolk wanted it, so Pel loaded it onto a cart.

Now, she's setting it up, and it's not only the spinning wheel that is new. She's wearing a brand new dress and a wide elven belt, something a great deal more feminine than she has ever worn before. The right side of her face is sporting a magnificent set of new bruises as well, the eye swollen half-shut and bloodshot. Several people have offered to heal her, but she wants people to see an elf capable of withstanding pain.

Later, she's put spinning aside and picked up her staff, going through some exercises she learned from Dorian's first class. She can still see an angry red templar cutting off her magic, then swinging a backhand blow at her face like he's punishing a naughty slave. Her depth perception is not great right now, and she occasionally has to pause to wait for double vision to become single vision again.

If you are also practicing at melee combat, she'll give a half-smile (the other half of her mouth hurts too much for that).

"Want to?"

Comments

for Zevran

[mythalenaste]

Pel manages to find Zevran despite the weird vision thing, and pauses for a moment, closing her swollen eye until there's only one of him.

"There you are." She approaches. "I've made you something. Come with me to the gardens?"

[ombranera]

"Pel-" The patch lingers still- though he's slowly learning to work with the new face, the vulnerability of a blind side- he is still no so blind as to not balk at her eyes. "Why have you not seen a healer?"

[mythalenaste]

"It'll heal on its own." A twitch at the non-busted corner of her mouth. "And you should see the respect it's given me. Big shems give me a wide berth now."

[ombranera]

"You are leaving yourself vulnerable on one side." He knows the pain such an injury comes with- and knows what causes such bruising well enough. "This is not a badge of pride, it is a wound. You are being foolish."

Says the elf that's only recently stopped drinking on rafters.

Shush.

[mythalenaste]

"I'm not planning on going into battle this way," she says lightly. "It's not often I have the chance to establish this sort of reputation."

But. He has a point.

"I'll have someone take care of it later. I want to show you something first."

[ombranera]

"You're an elf, Pel, all you need to do is look at a human long enough to earn one of those." Bitter, too bitter, too biting- he scrubs a hand over his own face and sighs. Be easy. "Be careful of those that look to intently. They may decide they like the look of it upon you."

Warning enough, he supposes. "I will be checking on you tonight. If you still have this bruise I am dragging you to the healing tents by your ear."

Nevermind that it makes him sound like a clucking hen.

[mythalenaste]

Well, that's sombering. She glances away then.

"It was a red templar. He cut off my magic and hit me backhanded with his gauntlet like I was an impudent servant. I had to fight him with my staff. The pain reminds me I survived. You're right, it's foolish."

[el_tybs]

Sam wasn't practicing at the time, but being in the area he had of course taken notice of Pel working on her technique. Seeing that she was still sporting those bruises and swollen eye he gives a sigh, noting how it seems to be affecting her practice. That's why he had offered to heal it back at the Keep once they all had met up again, but Pel wanted to make a point to everyone.

"Still having issues seeing well?"

[mythalenaste]

"It's a good time to practice," she argues. Pre-argues, really. "Next time a red templar bludgeons me in the face with his gauntlet, I'll have practice fighting with the handicap."

[el_tybs]

It would be easy to just fall into the argument and suggest that there were easier ways to practice a handicap, but clearly she's made up her mind and doesn't want to hear his points on it. "Do you want to practice so that next time they won't get the chance to even give you one?"

[mythalenaste]

"Of course I do." She grips her staff near the base and a quarter of the way up, rather like someone might hold a sword. "Ready?"

Without waiting for him to respond, she jabs outward toward him.

[el_tybs]

"Wha-" He's honestly glad he had brought his staff along this time, using the side of it to hit the length of Pel's to direct it away while he takes a step back. She certainly was fast to act.

Once he feels he's at a better distance he swings the other end into his hand so he's holding his weapons horizontal to his body.

[mythalenaste]

She has to remember not to smile, because smiling hurts. Her next jab is at his instep, where he can't reach unless he changes his grip on his staff.

[kallian_endris]

Kallian winces in sympathy when she sees the bruises, and brings over a small pot.
"I... thought this might help. With the bruises. Arnica, calendula and seed oils... If that's OK..."

[mythalenaste]

It's rude beyond measure to decline such a gesture, so Pel nods faintly. "Yes. It is. Thank you, Kalli."

[kallian_endris]

"My mother was fond of this particular blend. She used to put it on me if I got hurt playing."

She bites her lip.
"...are you doing OK?"

[mythalenaste]

The calendula flowers smell nice. Pel touches the mixture and experimentally rubs it over the back of her hand. Nice.

"I'm fine," she confirms. "Red templar. It's not as bad as it was. I'm not much of a healer, and at this point, it's not much worth troubling anyone over."

And she likes the wide berth people gave her back in Emprise for it.

[kallian_endris]

"Well. I do my best. I'm not as good as Adelaide or Detlef, but... I have Hope, and one day... who knows? It's not trouble for us to do our jobs."

She smiles shyly.
"I'm glad it wasn't worse, though."

[mythalenaste]

"I survived." That's the best that can be expected. She starts spreading the salve gingerly over the worst of the bruising and swelling, hissing faintly when trying to handle her black eye.

[the_effect_she_has]

"Want to what? Find the asshole who did that to your face and cut his goddamned hand off?"

Was Katniss's angry reply, as she moved closer to her friend. She had been practicing throwing daggers, but when she saw her friend approaching from across the courtyard she dropped her dagger in the ground and ran over to her.

"Creators - Pel, that looks bad." She murmurs, her lips pressing together. "Why haven't you gone to the healers yet?"

[mythalenaste]

Pel shakes her head. "Red Templar. He's dead. And I have. It used to be worse." Granted, she could have gone back another time, and kept going back until it was healed, but, "You should see the space people have been giving me. It's nice."

[the_effect_she_has]

"Well, you and Zevran might end up with matching scars then." She said dryly, before she leaned away from her friend. One corner of her mouth twisted up. "Well look at you, Pel of Clan Ashara. Enjoying your infamous bad-arse status."

[mythalenaste]

"I doubt it. I'll go in for another round of healing in a bit. It won't be a lasting problem." A faint smile. "I can enjoy it a little while yet. It's important people know you can withstand pain."

[the_effect_she_has]

"Good. Although honestly I don't think Zevran's is really going to be much of a problem for him either, given enough time." She looked at her friend soberly at that comment, before she let out a faint snort. "Ain't - isn't that the truth."

She tried, she honestly tried, to keep her speech a little more civilized for her scholarly friends. Sometimes were easier than most. "So, now that people know you can handle the bad stuff -- are you going out into the field more?"

[mythalenaste]

"My field is not usually the battlefield. The Inquisition simply needed the support in certain places. If you're asking whether I'll try combat more often, I...really don't know. I'll go where I'm sent, but there are a lot of people who can do combat. Not as many can do research."